Externally practice the muscles, bones and skin, and internally practice one breath. What does it mean?

"Practice one breath internally, practice muscles, bones and skin externally." This is a boxing proverb that many people know. Although everyone can say it, most martial arts practitioners cannot really understand its meaning. , it is difficult to understand the truth, let alone express it in the process of practicing martial arts. Here, the author only analyzes this boxing proverb in the words of one family. The "inner energy" discussed here has very similar definitions in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. In fact, "Qi" has two meanings in the human body: one refers to the breath of breath, and the other refers to the internal Qi of the human body. "Nei Jing Su Wen" says that "weather flows through the lungs, and earth qi flows into the throat (throat)." This means that "weather" enters the human lungs from breathing, and "earth qi" (i.e., the air of water and grain) enters the lungs from food and drink. pharynx. "Nei Jing·Lingshu" also says that "Zhen Qi is received from heaven and fills the body together with grain Qi." This further proves that "Zhen Qi" is the combination of water, grain Qi and breathing Qi, and has the ability to nourish the whole body. function. It can be seen that "Qi" is the foundation of the human body and the driving force behind the human body's life activities. The ancients believed that "jing, qi, and spirit" are the three treasures of the human body. It can be seen that "qi" is a very important substance, especially it has a harmonious and promoting effect on the human blood. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that "Qi is the leader of blood, and Qi moves blood by itself." However, without the circulation and nourishment of blood, the human body cannot produce life activities. Therefore, "qi" is the basis of life. "Yi Jin Jing" says that "Jing, Qi and Shen are invisible things, and muscles, bones, and flesh are the visible body." Therefore, "training the visible is the help of the invisible, and cultivating the invisible is the help of the visible." Qi is an intangible thing that can neither be seen nor touched, but it exists objectively and is the dependence of life activities. "Essence", "Shen" and the body can all be nourished through it. Both are intangible things. "Jing" and "Shen" can only be adjusted by our thoughts, while "Qi" can be strengthened through physical exercise. Therefore, it is of practical significance to advocate the practice of internal Qi in martial arts. Practicing inner energy is one of the must-do skills for martial arts practitioners. As early as thousands of years ago, Zhuangzi put forward the theory that "Blow and exhale, exhale the old and bring in the new, bear's meridian and bird's stretch are just for longevity." Mencius at the same time also said, "Nourish my awe-inspiring spirit." Therefore, practice Qi internally and shape externally, use the shape to bring luck, use Qi to nourish the shape, and then you can achieve superior Kung Fu by integrating Qi and shape. The "three internal combinations" and "three external combinations" mentioned in the Boxing Classic are the specific requirements for practicing internal energy and appearance, and are the combination of internal and external factors in the human body. Sufficient internal Qi has the function of nourishing and moisturizing the human body, and external movement can also have a certain adjustment effect on internal Qi. They are complementary and are two inseparable parts. Each sect in the martial arts world has different methods on how to practice inner qi and appearance, and the training methods of inner qi are also different between internal boxing and external boxing. However, the author believes that there is not much difference in the essence of Qi training between internal and external boxing, but there are slight differences in methods and operating forms. Many modern boxing Qi training methods are too complicated, turning the original simple principles into thousands of rules and regulations. There are a series of legal principles such as divine luck, celestial movement, Qi collection, Qi opening, inner alchemy methods, etc., which are like tying oneself in a cocoon. In fact, it has little effect. Because Qi training is an invisible exercise, it cannot be ruled out that some martial arts practitioners perform exceptionally well, but rarely make breakthroughs in appearance training. They basically follow the training methods of traditional martial arts and rely solely on equipment practice. In fact, if you want to prove whether the boxing skills you learn are meaningful, you must first look at the health-preserving effects, and secondly, experience the actual combat effects. In this way, you will discover the authenticity of the boxing skills you learn. Practicing internal energy and appearance, focusing on health-preserving functions on the inside and martial arts functions on the outside, the performance is very rich. First of all, if the internal energy is sufficient, the visceral function is strong, the internal strength is strong, the cardiopulmonary function is high, the human body endurance is good, and it can have a certain ability to resist blows; secondly, in terms of appearance, the muscles are thick, the bones are hard, the skin is thick, and the muscles are elastic, and the muscles can have a certain degree of elasticity. The strength of the blow and the speed of reaction are fast, so in actual combat, you are not afraid of the opponent pinching, holding, grabbing, or hitting. Therefore, it can be said that "train one breath internally, muscles, bones, and skin externally." This sentence highly summarizes the entire process of martial arts practice. "Practice one breath internally and muscles, bones and skin externally" is not just a boxing theory for practicing martial arts. It integrates theories in the three major fields of philosophy, martial arts and health preservation. It is a high-level summary of traditional martial arts and provides ideological and action guidance. Function is the ultimate expression of the martial arts practitioner's skill.

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